Staff and Consultants

Edwin KS Ryu President & Chief Investment Officer

Edwin K.S. Ryu is the Founder and the President of Legacy Wealth Advisors. He is a Touche Ross & Co. (now Deloitte & Touche) CPA and Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) by background and has been a private investor and a wealth advisor for over twenty five years. Edwin’s client base consists of high net worth individuals, families and institutions. He graduated from Stanford University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics.

Edwin has been named to the Medical Economics Magazine top 150 Financial Advisors for doctors and has been featured or quoted in numerous publications, including The San Francisco Chronicle, Silicon Valley Business Journal and Forbes.

He was recently on the Board of Trustees at the York School of Monterey and Pitzer College (Claremont Colleges) where he served as Chairman & Vice Chairman, respectively, of their investment committees. He also serves on the Board of Directors of a private financial services firm.

Edwin is an active community leader and has served on several Boards, including the YMCA, the Silicon Valley FPA and The Mountain View Buddhist Temple. He and his wife, Julie, support numerous charitable causes in the Bay Area through their Donor Advised Funds at Silicon Valley and Marin Community Foundations.

In his free time, Edwin enjoys playing basketball and table tennis, traveling with his wife and two daughters, and playing the violin. He co-authored the book Chicken Little Economics: Will the Sky Keep Falling?

Julie SatakeRyu Operations, Client Relations & Charitable Planning

Julie SatakeRyu is involved in client relations and charitable planning at Legacy. After completing a doctorate degree in healthcare at UCSF she had a career at a major hospital/healthcare system which became part of Sutter Health. She transitioned from clinical to IT consulting where her work included implementing and modifying clinical healthcare software for a biotechnology startup and large institutional healthcare systems.

At Legacy, Julie is focused on enhancing the client experience and improving systems for client support. Charitable giving in particular is an area that she is able to help clients identify and implement their own giving legacy. As a member of a multigenerational family with extensive real estate and business interests, Julie assisted her family with the creation of charitable giving programs.

Julie is actively involved in the community, currently serving as a Board member at the Mountain View Buddhist Temple and a volunteer in the City of Mountain View/Police Athletic League Net Gain Tennis program for at-risk youth. She is also a former Board Member/Executive Board Member of a local private K-8 elementary school and member of the City of Mountain View Tennis Advisory Board. In addition to supporting the many activities of her family, she also enjoys skiing, tennis, hiking, and traveling.

Michelle Hamilton handles client relations and portfolio administration at Legacy. Michelle earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Managerial Economics at the University of California at Davis. She also received a Master’s in Business Administration from San Jose State University and is a CFP® certificant.

Michelle has over twelve years of experience in managing all aspects of client relationships, particularly with respect to providing portfolio administration, trust and wealth management services. Her prior work has included eight years of experience with Wells Fargo Family Wealth and Private Bank and a Registered Investment Advisory firm.

Michelle enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband and her daughter and son.

Lawrence Pizzella Research Analysis and Portfolio Administration

Lawrence Pizzella focuses on investment research and portfolio administration at Legacy. Lawrence earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Corporate Financial Management from San Jose State University, where he graduated with honors, and a Master’s in Business Administration degree with an emphasis in Finance from Santa Clara University. He also holds a Series 65 securities license.

Lawrence has over ten years of experience working in taxation and wealth management. His prior work experience involved handling individual, estate & trust tax issues, wealth management and providing portfolio administration services for a Registered Investment firm and a CPA.

His favorite pastimes are playing golf and softball.

Terri JimenezAdministration and Marketing

Terri Jimenez’ area of responsibility includes administration and marketing for the firm. She earned a Bachelor's of Art degree from San Francisco State University, where she graduated with honors.

Terri has over fifteen years of experience in administration and marketing at both large corporations, including Target and General Electric, and some smaller firms.

Terri is married with two children and spends many weekends and summers watching her son on the soccer pitch. His competitive team is ranked number one in the nation for their age group. She is also very involved with PTA, both at her children’s school and the Council level that oversees the entire school district.

Kristine Matsumoto Bookkeeping and Accounting

Kristine Matsumoto handles bookkeeping and accounting for Legacy. Kristine earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from St. Mary’s College. She has worked for a regional public accounting firm, performing audits and tax compliance work, and has also served as a controller for a local manufacturing company.